(Radio Iowa) – The Cedar Rapids School Board plans to eliminate 20 full-time teaching positions from its middle and high schools next budget year in an effort to cut costs. The board earlier had planned to cut 33 positions, but received strong push-back from families. School board president Cindy Garlock says the district’s decisions around staffing and reorganization are a process.

“It is really critical for the community, the public to understand that we are trying to show you how the sausage is getting made,” Garlock says, “and sometimes it’s a convoluted path.” Alumni, parents and students from Washington High School voiced concerns about the impacts of proposed staff cuts. The board reduced the number of proposed reductions at Washington from roughly seven employees to less than one.

School board member Kaitlin Byers says the purpose of the new staffing model is to create consistency across the district and respond to inconsistencies appropriately.  “Educators, leaders, community members engaging in these conversations in a respectful and productive way that has really kept the bigger picture in focus, which we’ve heard public comment, we’ve heard through emails, we’ve heard in our conversation with our board at these meetings,” Byers says. “It just reminds us that we’re operating as a community.”

The reductions are expected to save the district roughly one-point-five million dollars. The district will finalize its decisions regarding teaching staff later this month.